3a] Ruling on praying tahajjud on Laylat al-Qadr only

3a]
With regard to singling out one night of Ramadaan as Laylat al-Qadr,
this requires evidence to show that it isthis night and not any other.
But the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan are
more likelythan others (to be Laylat al-Qadr) and the twenty-seventh
night is the most likely night to be Laylat al-Qadr, because of the
ahaadeeth to that effect.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Ifta', 10/413
Hence the Muslim should not assume that any particular night is Laylat
al-Qadr, because that would mean that he is being certain about
something concerning which we cannot be certain, and because it means
that he is missing out on something that is good for him. It may be
the night of the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the
twenty-ninth. If he spends the night of the twenty-seventh only in
prayer, then he will have missed out on a lot of goodness, and he may
have missed that blessed night.
The Muslim should strive his hardest to do acts of obedience and
worship throughout Ramadaan, and more so in the last ten days. This is
the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
When the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) would tighten his waist-wrapper,
spend his nights in prayer, and wake his family.
Narrated by Muslim, 2024;Muslim, 1174.
And Allaah knows best.

3] Ruling on praying tahajjud on Laylat al-Qadr only

3]
What is the ruling on praying tahajjud on Laylatal-Qadr and not on
other nights?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There are reports which speak of the great virtue of doing acts of
worship on Laylat al-Qadr. Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted,
has told us that it is better than a thousand nights, and the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that whoever spends
this night in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward will be
forgiven his previous sins.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in theNight of Al-Qadr (Decree).
2. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?
3. The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months
(i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him
a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).
4. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by
Allaah's Permission with all Decrees,
5. (All that night), there is peace (and goodness fromAllaah to His
believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn"
[al-Qadr 97:1-5]
And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaahbe pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoeverspends this night in prayer out of faith and in the hope of
reward will be forgiven his previous sins." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
1901; Muslim,760.
Out of faith means believing in its virtue and in the reward for that.
In the hope of reward means by seeking the pleasure of Allaah.
Secondly:
The scholars differed as tothe definition of Laylat al-Qadr, and there
are many opinions, more thanforty as it says in Fath al-Baari. The
most likely to be correct is the view that it is one of the
odd-numbered nights among the last ten nights of Ramadaan.
It was narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that
theMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Seek Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numberednights of the last
ten nights of Ramadaan." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2017; Muslim, 1169.
Al-Bukhaari included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled: "Seeking
Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights
(of Ramadaan)."
The reason why it is hidden is to encourage the Muslim to strive hard
in worship and du'aa' and dhikr during all the last ten nights of
Ramadaan. This is the same reason why the time when du'aa'is answered
on Friday has not been defined, and why the ninety-names of Allaah
have not been defined, concerning whichthe Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoeverlearns them by heart
will enter Paradise." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2736; Muslim, 2677.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words of Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) -
"Seeking Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numberednights of the last ten
nights (of Ramadaan)" - indicate that it is most likely that Laylat
al-Qadar cannot be in any month other than Ramadaan, and is in the
last ten nights thereof, and is one of the odd-numbered nights, but
not on any particular night. This is what is indicated by a number of
the reports that have been narrated concerning it.
Fath al-Baari, 4/260.
And he said:
The scholars said: The reason why Laylat al-Qadar has been concealed
is so that people will strive to seek it, because if its timing was
known, they would limit their efforts to that night only, as we have
explained previously about the time on Friday (when du'aa's are
answered).
Fath al-Baari, 4/266.
Thirdly:
Based on this, it is not possible for anyone to be certain that a
particular night is Laylat al-Qadr, especially since we know that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to tell his
ummah when it was, then he told them that Allaah had taken away that
knowledge.
It was narrated from 'Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) cameout with the news of Laylat al-Qadr, but two men
among the Muslims started arguing. He said: "I came out to tell you
about Laylat al-Qadr, but So and so and So and so started arguing, so
(that knowledge) was taken away. Perhaps that will be better for you.
So seek it on the (twenty-) seventh and the (twenty-)ninth and the
(twenty-) fifth." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 49.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
With regard to singling out one night of Ramadaan as Laylat al-Qadr,
this requires evidence to show that it isthis night and not any
other.:->

2b] Numbers of rak’ahs in Taraaweeh prayer

2b]
most of the night. Indeed, one night in which the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in
prayingTaraaweeh, he did not end his prayer until just before dawn,
and the Sahaabah feared that theywould miss suhoor. The Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) loved to pray behind the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and they did not feel that it was
too long. The scholars thought that if the imam made the prayer so
long, this would be too difficult for the members of the congregation
and that might put them off. So they thought that the imam should make
the recitation shorter and increase the number of rak'ahs.
The point is that the one who prays eleven rak'ahs in the manner
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever makes the
recitation shorter and increases the number of rak'ahs is also doing
well. A person who does either of these two things is not to be
denounced. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
If a person prays Taraaweeh according to the madhhabs of Abu
Haneefah, al-Shaafa'i and Ahmad, with twenty rak'ahs, or according to
the madhhab of Maalik, with thirty-six rak'ahs, or with thirteen or
eleven rak'ahs, he has done well, as Imam Ahmad said, because there is
nothing to specify the number. So the greater or lesser number of
rak'ahs depends on how long or short the qiyaam (standing in the
prayer) is.
Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 64
Al-Suyooti said:
What is narrated in the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth is the command to
observe night prayers during Ramadaan, which is encouraged without
specifying a particular number. It is not proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak'ahs of
Taraaweeh, rather that he prayed at night, with an unspecifiednumber
of rak'ahs. Then he delayed it on the fourth night lest it become
obligatory for them and they might not be able to do it. Ibn Hajar
al-Haythami said: There is no saheeh report that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak'ahs of
Taraaweeh. Thenarration which suggests that he "used to pray twenty
rak'ahs" is extremely weak (da'eef).
Al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/142-145
So you should not be surprised that people prayTaraaweeh as twenty
rak'ahs. There have been generation after generation of those imams
(who used to pray twenty rak'ahs), and all ofthem are good.
And Allaah knows best./

2a] Numbers of rak’ahs in Taraaweeh prayer

2a]
nine rak'ahs sometimes. But what is meant by the hadeeth is pray as
you have seen me praying with regard to how to pray not how many
rak'ahs, unless there is a text to state what the number is.
Whatever the case, a person should not be strict with people with
regard to a matter that is broad in scope. We have even seen some
brothers who are strict on this matter accusing the imams who pray
more than eleven rak'ahs of following bid'ah, and theyleave the
mosque, thus missing out on the reward of which the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
stands with theimam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of
qiyaam al-layl will be recorded for him." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
806; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 646). Some
of them even sit down after completing ten rak'ahs, thus breaking up
the rowsof worshippers by sitting there, and sometimes they start
talking and disturb the people who are praying.
We have no doubt that their intentions are good and they are doing
their best to come to the right conclusion, but that does not mean
that they are correct.
The other group does the opposite. They sternly denounce those who
prayonly eleven rak'ahs and say that they have gone against scholarly
consensus. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after
the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than
the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and
burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!"
[al-Nisa' 4:115]
All the generations who came before you only knew the number as
twenty-three rak'ahs, and they denounce anyone who says anything
different.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 4/73-75
With regard to the evidence quoted by those who say that it is not
permissible to do more than eight rak'ahs in Taraaweeh, they quote the
hadeeth of Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan, who asked 'Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her), "How did the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray during Ramadaan?" She said:
"Hedid not pray more than eleven rak'ahs in Ramadaan or at other
times. He would pray four,and do not ask how beautiful and long they
were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long
they were, then he would pray three. I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah,
will you sleep before you pray Witr?' He said, 'O 'Aa'ishah, my eyes
sleep but my heart does not.'"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909; Muslim, 738
They said: This hadeeth indicates that the Messenger of Allaah was
consistent in his prayers at night in Ramadaan andat other times.
The scholars refuted this use of the hadeeth as evidence by saying
that this is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did, but the fact that he did something does not
implythat it is obligatory.
The evidence that there is no set number for prayersat night – which
include Taraaweeh – is the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar according to which a
man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) about prayer at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Prayers at night are to beoffered two by
two (two rak'ahs at a time). If any of you fears that the time of dawn
is approaching then let him pray one rak'ah as Witr."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 846; Muslim, 749)
If we look at what the scholars of the prominent schools of thought
said, you will clearly see that this matter is broad in scope and that
there is nothing wrong with doing more than eleven rak'ahs.
Al-Sarkhasi, who is one of the imams of the Hanafi school, said:
It is twenty rak'ahs, apart from Witr, in our view.
Al-Mabsoot, 2/145
Ibn Qudaamah said:
The favoured view according to Abu 'Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad, may
Allaah have mercy on him), is that it istwenty rak'ahs. This was the
view of al-Thawri, AbuHanfeefah and al-Shaafa'i. Maalik said it is
thirty-six.
Al-Mughni, 1/457
Al-Nawawi said:
Taraaweeh prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view
is that it is twenty rak'ahs with ten tasleems,and it is permissible
to pray it individually or in congregation.
Al-Majmoo', 4/31
These are the views of thefour imams concerning the number of rak'ahs
of Taraaweeh prayer. All of them said something more than eleven
rak'ahs. Perhaps the reasons why they said something morethan eleven
rak'ahs include the following:
1- They thought that the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah did not mean that
this was the specific number.
2- A greater number was narrated from many of the salaf.
See al-Mughni, 2/604; al-Majmoo', 4/32
3- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
pray eleven rak'ahs and make them very lengthy, so much so that it
used to take him most of the night. Indeed,:->